Darren Bailey makes his closing arguments to Illinois voters ahead of Election Day
MERRIONETTE PARK, Ill. (CBS) – Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey was busy on Monday in Oak Brook and Bourbonnais ahead of Tuesday's election.
Bailey started at a hotel in Oak Brook where he was joined by supporters. He vowed if elected to fire the entire state School Board of Education and appoint a health director who wouldn't mandate COVID-19 vaccines for school age children.
Bailey then made a stop in Bourbonnais at an event held at a construction rental company he encouraged his base to vote on Tuesday.
"I'm going to need you right there alongside me as we clean our schools up, as we restore safety to our streets and honoring the men and women who serve and protect our property and our persons, and as we start to get our taxes lower," he said. "[Incumbent Gov.] JB Pritzker has failed us miserably and it's time to take our government back. That's what we are going to do tomorrow."
He bashed Pritzker's decision to close schools during portions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"JB is a thief who stole precious moments from our children," Bailey said. "And they may never get those moments back."
He added he would promise to keep schools open.
Bailey ended the day in southwest suburban Merrionette Park with a Get Out the Vote event.
Bailey ended the day at the 115 Bourbon Street entertainment complex, at 3359 W. 115th St. in southwest suburban Merrionette Park. He was joined there by other Illinois Republicans on the ticket.
At the rally, he grouped Pritzker in with Republican former Gov. Bruce Rauner – casting them both as out-of-touch elites.
"People are ready for change. They've had enough. Enough is enough," he said. "Eight years – eight years of back-to-back billionaires, and friends, it's failed us – because they've left 'we the people' out of the equation."
Bailey is scheduled to spend the night in the Chicago area, and head to Springfield on Tuesday – where he will watch the results come in and host a party.
